Realisation
by Lorii-x
Summary: There comes a point when you realise you're in love... - Read and Review? x
1. Chapter 1

It was just a normal Friday night at Chez Chez. The music blasted and the drinks were flowing. The dance floor filled as the night went on.  
>Brendan had spent most of the week in his office, hardly taking any interest in what was happening at the club at all. But tonight was different.<br>For some reason, Brendan found himself watching over Steven as he re-stocked the shelves with a variety of drinks, and served the regulars at the bar.  
>He noticed that young Steven was looking particularly attractive this evening; with his hair gelled up at the front and his tanned face and neck appearing just above the open neck of his work shirt. To Brendan, Steven was the most beautiful human being he'd ever laid eyes on; although he'd never tell him that.<p>

He watched as Steven served the customers with that cheery smile on his face. He admired Steven's work ethic. 

He observed him closely from the other side of the room, adoring the young barman. That was until he noticed a shy but cheeky grin appear across Steven's face.  
>He looked to the 5'7 guy that stood in front of Steven at the bar; blonde hair and brown eyed. He appeared to be edging closer to Steven as he whispered something in his ear. Brendan began to see Red as his patience was wearing thin. What did this guy think he was doing, trying to make moves on <em>his <em>Steven?  
>He noticed Steven shaking his head as the guy gestured for him to follow him to the nearest exit. Brendan couldn't quite believe that was going on. He thought Steven and him were moving forward, why was he getting involved with any old randomer?<br>Brendan's heart ached at the sight of it.

Eventually, the guy seemed to have got the message and left the club not long after and Brendan breathed a shaky sigh of relief.  
>Steven was <em>his <em>and no one was going to take him away again. It was at this moment that Brendan realised he needed to do something to make sure Steven knew this too…


	2. Chapter 2

"Can I see you in my office for a moment, Steven?" Brendan asked, sneaking up behind Ste.

"Do you always have to sneak up on me like that?" He asked, caught off guard.

"I do apologise..." Brendan replied, dryly. "Office, now."

Ste looked unsure, but he followed Brendan into his office as he tried to figure out what he'd done wrong this time.  
>As Ste closed the door behind him, Brendan remain quiet; just staring at him, but not saying a word.<p>

"Well what d'you want?" Ste asked.

"Look Steven, I've been going over things in my head and I just wanted to ask yo- well I just wondered, whether you were still… ye know.. serious about this; about us?"

"Where's all this come from Bren?" Ste askes, confused.

"Well I jus- I saw you smiling at that guy at the bar earlier and…"

"And what, Brendan? You were worried that I might jump into bed with him just because I _smiled _at him? You know I do have more self-respect than that." Ste snapped.

"I know.. that's not what I meant Steven, calm down will ye. I didn't bring you in here to argue."

"Well what did you bring in here for, huh? … Just let me out, I've got customers to serve." Ste said, sounding annoyed as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Brendan said suddenly. "Listen, just come round to my place, tomorrow, 7:30 yeah? I'll get Cheryl out the way."

"What? No!"

"Not like that, Steven!" Brendan argued. "There's just… something I need to show you. Tomorrow night. 7.30 yeah?" He asked, hopefully.

"Fine…" He heard Steven say quietly, as he left the office.

Right, Brendan thought. It was time to show Steven that he wasn't made of stone afterall.

**** Only a short chapter, sorry about that.**


	3. Chapter 3

The next day passed by rather uneventfully. It was Brendan's day off, and Ste spent most of the day re-stocking the fridges and rearranging the furniture at the club to fill in the long hours before his shift was over.

Meanwhile, Brendan headed down to Price Slice; filling his carrier bags with all of Steven's favourite snacks before heading back home, feeling nervous as he began to wonder whether Steven would actually turn up later on.

As time went on, Ste went over what Brendan had said to him the day before.  
>Why did he ask me if I was serious about us? He wondered to himself.<p>

The clock on the wall said 7.10 p.m.

As Ste pulled on his jacket getting ready to leave work, he decided he would go and see what Brendan had to say.

**x – x – x**

Ste arrived at Brendan's a few minutes early. He stood at his front door, knocking nervously.

"Ah, Steven. Glad you could make it." Brendan smiled. "Do come in…"

As Steven entered, he noticed the plates of snacks Brendan had laid out on the coffee table in front of the TV; all if his favourites to be precise.

"What's all this food for?" Ste asked, confused.

"Well I thought we might get peckish during the film… it's 2 hours long ye know."

"Film? What are you going on about, Bren?"

"I told ye I needed to show ye something, didn't I?"

"Yeah…" Ste urged.

"Well, I'm going to show ye. I'm going to show ye that I'm not made of stone, Steven. I wanna show ye that ye mean something to me. That's why I'm doing this.  
>I made a list of all of your favourite snacks, and I went and bought them earlier. Then I went into town and rented your favourite film. I thought we could, ye know… watch it, together" Brendan explained.<p>

"Really?" Ste asked, surprised. "But I don't understand… I –"

"Have I ever told ye that ye talk too much?" Brendan interrupted.

Ste just smiled; still slightly confused. He rested his jacket on the arm of the sofa as Brendan came to sit down next to him.  
>Ste decided to just stay quiet and go along with whatever Brendan was trying to do here.<p>

Brendan got up to turn down the lights a little. He put the rented DVD into the player, and then settled back down beside him.

"Look, I know this might seem a little bit strange…" Brendan began. "But I just wanted us to be together for a while. I know things haven't been great between us lately but I've just been so busy with the club and everything else... but now I've realised that the thing that I really need to focus on is you, Steven. I do enjoy being around ye, and I just want you to know that." Brendan said, sincerely.

"Well look who's turning into a big soft mushball." Ste joked.

"I am not a mushball, Steven. Now are we going to watch this film or not?" Brendan replied, and he couldn't help but smile; relieved that Steven was _his_, even if it was just for now…


	4. Chapter 4

**** This chapter is extremely fluffy. But we all like a bit of fluff, don't we? ;-)**

**Last chapter for now…**

As the film started, Ste began process what Brendan had just said. He couldn't help but wonder why he was suddenly acting so loving towards him, although he wasn't complaining.

Ste did love Brendan, he couldn't deny it. But he had built his hopes up and watched them fall again so many times. Could he really trust what Brendan was saying?  
>Ste began to doubt the whole situation. He started to wonder whether he should just get up and leave, to avoid disappointment once more. But all of his worries quickly faded as Brendan put an arm gently around Ste's shoulder, pulling him closer to his body.<br>That's when he realised that this is where he belonged.

**x - x - x**

The two men munched their way through the snacks that Brendan had prepared and the evening grew darker. Brendan yawned, and leaned back into a more comfortable position on the sofa. He gestured that it was okay for Steven to lie down on top of him. His head rested on Brendan's chest, breathing in his scent and his arm was thrown lightly across Steven's waist. Brendan brought his hand up and ran his fingers softly through the hairs on Steven's head and he felt him smile.

"I like this." Ste whispered.

"What?"

"This. Just being able to watch a film together; acting like a normal couple for a change." Ste explained.

"Good, cos you're gonna have to get used to it" Brendan said, without even thinking about it.

"What d'you mean by that?" Ste asked.

"Well, I've been thinking quite a lot recently… and I want to make things up to ye."

"Make what things up to me?" Ste asked again.

"Everything." Brendan said softly. "I haven't treated you the way that you deserve to be treated Steven, we both know that. But now it's time that I make it up to you. I want to…"

"Want to what?"

"I want to.. you know.. try to be a proper couple, because I know that's what you really want." Brendan said awkwardly, but truthfully all the same.

"Bren.. I- I don't know what to say. I've trusted you before, and look where it got me. I want to be with you; more than anything, but I can't go through that again Brendan, I can't…" Ste said, with tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"I was messed up back then Steven, I can see that now. But I don't _want _to be that way. I want to change. Not just for me, but for you as well."

"And why should I believe anything you say to me anymore?"

"Because I- ..."

Ste looked at Brendan, deep into his eyes.

"Because I think I'm in love with you, Steven. And I didn't realise how much… until now." Brendan said, with the most truth in his voice Ste had ever heard.

Ste didn't say a word. Instead he responded in the only way he knew how.  
>He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Brendan's; lingering there for only a second before pulling away, with the softest smile on his face.<p>

"I can't believe you just said that." Ste whispered; still in shock.

Brendan did nothing. He just continued to look into Ste's eyes, smiling.

"I want this to work this time, Bren." Ste said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.  
>"Promise me that we can try to make this work?"<p>

Brendan gave a small smile and nodded. "I'll try my best Steven, I promise ye."

Ste felt butterflies in his stomach for the first time in a long time.

"Kiss me..." Ste said quietly, needing to feel Brendan close to him one more time.

Brendan looked from his eyes to his lips, before leaning in. Their lips fitted together perfectly, as though they were made for each other. Ste lifted his hand to run his fingers through Brendan's hair as he heard him moan gently into his mouth.

"I love you, Brendan. I've loved you from the moment we met… but I guess you already knew that, didn't you?" Ste asked, shyly.

Brendan just stared at the younger man and smiled once more. He wasn't going to let Steven down, not this time.  
>They'd been through so much, yet here they were again, back to the beginning; feeling like the first time all over again.<p>

"I know this isn't going to be easy... but I'm not letting you go again Steven" Brendan said.

"Good." Ste replied, shuffling closer against Brendan as the lay his head down once more.

They spent the rest of the evening just like that. Just being together; with no other feeling or emotion involved other than pure love for each other.  
>Ste lay on top of Brendan as the film continued to play. Brendan's hands travelled down Ste's torso and under his t-shirt. His fingers gently traced his hip bone, then he felt Ste's warm hand on top of his own, squeezing it lightly. And that's how they lay for the rest of night, until they eventually fell asleep in each other's arms. Cheryl was out all night, and for once it was just the two of them. It was the most peaceful sleep either of them had had in a long time…<p> 


End file.
